In the Feb 04 issue of MT they test radar detectors. I guess they want to compete with annual Car & Drivers test articles. Anyway, I was surprised to see the report that the Passport 8500 beat out the V1 and the V1 was only slightly better than the BEL 985. This is the first time I have seen the V1 bested. Normally the Car & Driver's annual report shows the V1 head and shoulders above the pack and the Passport a distant second.

I'm in the market for a new radar detector as my old '96 model BEL 2AA battery operated unit is getting long in the tooth. It really wasn't so hot when I bought it new. I need better protection.

What do you think of the MT article? What detector do you have and what do you think of it?

 

I have the V1. It works great for me. One thing I am really impressed with is the customer service with Valentine 1. If something goes wrong, they take care of it, usually for free, and if not free, generally $35.

They also do upgrades for a decent price, basically like getting a new V1 for $189 every year or two if you want.

 

wife bought me a $150 cobra rdar detector for christmas. It goes off all the damn time UNLESS there is a ****ing cop around.

 

A lot of different things will set them off. A lot of times, cops may not be using their radar.

 

well, when I crest a hill doing 85, and there's a cop sitting there in the median with his wondow down and the gun pointing out, and yet the detector isn't making a peep I have to wonder.

They should rename these things supermarket and semi truck detectors. That's when they usually go off the most...

 

LMAO. You get what you pay for. Sell one or ten of your cars and get a good detector

 

I posted this about a month ago....Looks like I should be working for Motortrend




Here is what I have learned......


V1- Has the best range (by about 3 tenths of a mile over Passport), the ability to locate where the radar is coming from. The biggest con about the V1 is the false alarms (ranked almost last in survey)

Passport 8500- Second only to V1 in range (see above), ranked first in false alarms (which is the main quality for any detector BAR NONE). The only con for the Passport is.....well I cannot think of any right now

Bel 985- (The one I own)- Third in Range. Second to the Passport in false alarms and is probably the LOUDEST detector in the market. I love to drive with the radio blasting...If it goes off......I can hear it.

Price for each:

V1-$500.00
Passport 8500-$299.99
Bel985-$239.99

If I had to buy another one, it would be the Passport.

The cheaper models are good (mainly when on interstates) but around town.......you basically pick up every sensored door around. If I had to choose a cheaper model......I would go with the $39.95 Whistler from Walmart. Whistler has been around a loooooooong time so they build good stuff.

Later

 

hey now, I'm down to only 4 now unless you count Trey's old hulk in the driveway!

 

V1 users are some of the most satisfied customers I've ever come across. I like it's capabilites and features but can't afford one

My father has a Passport 8500 that I do have some experience with, and it's a great radar detector. Still not cheap though. Way above any of the inexpensive detectors I've used.

One thing I've heard is that there's some bad blood between Mike Valentine and the head guy at Passport, which supposedly has led to some "massaged" test results from certain parties. Not sure how true that is. Either way, both are great detectors. I'd probably go Valentine just for the directional and bogie features since, for practical purposes, they are probably about the same in detecing performance.

As always, radar detectors are not going to save your *** if you're excessively speeding.... especially since most guns are instant on now

 

I guess that depends on who you ask. I can live with the level of false alarms that I get on my cheap Uniden, no problem. I really wish I had the SUPER range of the Passport 8500, if the V1 is ever better OMG. Especially with instant on guns the range is a HUGE benefit. You start to learn what's going on. With the Passport you'll catch quick blips and as you draw nearer they increase in intensity. It becomes subconscious to know it's a trigger gun up ahead.

With the cheaper units you either get nailed or not. The worse that happens with a false alarm is I check the speedo... not like that's a bad thing.

If you're using it to *really* speed it might be a "problem" but you're gonna get nailed anyway

 

That poor car...

 

hah i could have told ya the escort was better than the v1

my buddy's v1 goes off all the damn time, and mine stays quiet until its necessary for it to go off. the range on both seems about the same.

only problem with 8500 is that it has no directional arrows... i'd still buy it again without hesitation.

 

Thats why I think radar detectors are really only good now when in traffic. Even with the instant on stuff, you can catch it off the car in front of you, but if no one is around, you are screwed.

 

the newer versions 1.8 V1 are better with the false alarms for sure, since having a V1 for over 10 years i know a good product and for me the V1 is top dog

 

Thanks, guys, for all the interesting posts on this. While differing views are expressed, you've given me a lot of info to ponder.

Buttercup, you nailed it with your advice above. Nothing is going to protect you if you are speeding excessively above the limit. There simply is no time to react to an instant on gun, particluarly if it is Lidar.

My frustration has to do with the so called car mag tests. Who do you trust is testing and reporting objectively. Both V1 and Passport have been rated tops by different testers/mags. Does V1 pay off C&D mag to be rated tops? Did Passport pay off MT recently to beat V1? Who is telling the truth here? It definitely cause me to loose faith in auto mag tests and reports. Actually I lost that trust years ago.

The Passport and V1 offer different features and benefits as many have noted above. I suppose it comes down to personal preferences and determining if the V1 is incrementally better to justifiy the higher price.